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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24684883">i'd blow all my friendships (to sit in hell with you)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jj_blues/pseuds/jj_blues'>jj_blues</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Relationships, Humor, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Time Skips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:40:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,931</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24684883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jj_blues/pseuds/jj_blues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Remus' last year at Hogwarts, and he's made it his personal mission to stop Regulus Black from joining the Dark Side.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Severus Snape, Regulus Black &amp; Remus Lupin, Regulus Black &amp; Sirius Black, Regulus Black/Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin &amp; Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black &amp; Remus Lupin, Sirius Black &amp; Remus Lupin &amp; Peter Pettigrew &amp; James Potter &amp; Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sirius blinked owlishly. Remus didn't think he'd seen his friend look more gobsmacked other than the time James admitted he might fancy Sev. "You want us to...save him?" </p><p>Remus resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Was his idea truly that outrageous? "Yes, Padfoot. Or have you lost hope?" </p><p>Sirius continued to stare. "But... but..." </p><p>Remus arched a brow. "But?" </p><p>"You don't understand!" Sirius burst out. "Reggie doesn't want to be saved! He made it quite clear when I asked him to run away with me." </p><p>Now it was Remus' turn to stare. Sirius never mentioned he'd extended the offer to his brother. "You asked him to run away with you?" </p><p>"Yeah. Said James wouldn't mind if he came along. Would probably even be relieved if he did. But Reg, er, didn't appreciate the last bit." Sirius' shoulders slumped. "Called me a blood-traitor, said James didn't know anything, and Sev should keep his nose out of other people's business if he knew what was good for him." </p><p>"But Sev only worries," Remus said, offended on the behalf of their - well, Sev <i>has</i> become their friend, if the previous year was anything to go by. </p><p>"Reg doesn't care, Moony. I asked him to run away with me because I'm almost - no, I'm absolutely certain our dear cousin Bella's been poisoning his mind with praises about the new Dark Lord." Sirius spat out <i>Dark Lord</i> like it's a particularly vile potion. "Reg's starting to become quite a fan of him. Bet you the git's not even a pure-blood. I mean, why bother with a fake name if he's from a legitimate pure-blood family?" </p><p>"Maybe because he isn't a pure-blood?" </p><p>"Damn right he isn't." Sirius flopped back on the couch. He made a grab for one of the silk cushions. Merlin, Remus should've figured Sirius would ask the Room of Requirement for silk cushions. "Grandfather Arcturus would be rolling in his grave if he knew the family's bending their knees to some wannabe-Dark Lord." </p><p>"I know, Sirius." Remus pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't have the patience to listen to another one of his friend's blood status spiels right now, no matter how entertaining they might be. "Back to Reg - " </p><p>"We can't save him." </p><p>Remus sucked in a sharp breath. He was well-aware Sirius had always been a stubborn prick since first year. Throwing a silk cushion at him, no matter how tempting, would <i>not</i> solve the problem. "You're saying you'd rather leave your brother to your cousin than save him." </p><p>Sirius sat up. "Honestly, mate, what brought this on?" Remus chewed on his bottom lip. Something must've shown on his face, because Sirius' expression softened, and he scooted forward to nudge his shoulder. "It's not that I don't want to do it, I just… I just want to know why you seem so intent on saving Reg."  </p><p>Remus fidgeted with the edge of the cushion's tassel. "We weren't on the best terms with Sev either, and yet we still made an effort, didn't we? There's a war coming, Sirius, and I reckon..." He swallowed. "I reckon if we could stop one student from rallying over to the Dark Side, then that's one less person the Aurors would send to Azkaban." </p><p>"Merlin, Remus..." Sirius shook his head. "You really had the whole thing planned out, haven't you?" His eyes widened. "Wait, does it mean we have to tell the others?" </p><p>"Yeah." Remus nodded. Inwardly, he smiled to himself. Well done. "We're not keeping them out of the loop." </p><p>"Brilliant!" Sirius leapt to his feet. His cushion crashed to the floor. He picked it up, and shoved it at Remus. "Here. I'll go grab James - " </p><p>Rolling his eyes, Remus pushed the cushions to the side. "He's with Sev in the library. I checked the map." </p><p>Sirius snorted. "He brought along his Invisibility Cloak, I hope?" </p><p>They shared a look. Remus shuddered. The poor Hufflepuff girl still couldn't look at James whenever they ran into each other in the corridors. "I hope so." </p><p>"Alright, then." Sirius dusted off his robes with an exaggerated flourish. "I'll grab James, and Severus. You're in charge of Lily, and Peter. Wish me luck!" </p><p>_ </p><p>"You want to save Regulus?" James repeated. </p><p>Peter looked flabbergastered, like he couldn't believe Remus had the nerve to propose the idea. </p><p>Remus was torn between wanting to smack his head on the door in frustration or smacking his friends upside the head. Didn't Sirius give James and Peter the run-down before dragging them here? "Yes, James, I want to save Regulus. Why does everybody look so surprised? I don't recall you lot objecting to my suggestion of making amends with Sev. How is this any different? No offense, Sev," he added. </p><p>"None taken," Severus said. "I think they - <i>we</i>," he amended, rolling his eyes when James poked his side, "just couldn't understand why you would want to rescue Regulus, of all people." </p><p>"And besides," Peter squeaked, "the Severus thing's been long overdue! I mean, Prongs fancied Severus since first year, remember?" </p><p>A ringing silence followed his statement. </p><p>"Moony," James began, "you don't <i>fancy</i> Regulus, do you?" </p><p>"No!" he protested. He could feel his cheeks heat up at his friends' incredulous stare. "I just wanted to - oh for Merlin's sake, Padfoot, tell them!" </p><p>"He reckons if we could save Reg from the Dark Side, then it's one less person the Aurors will send to Azkaban." </p><p>"Alright, alright." James leaned back against Severus. "Just checking. Carry on." </p><p>"So, what do you want us to do?" </p><p>Remus shifted his attention to Lily, who had perched herself on the arm of the couch. "Sorry?" </p><p>"While we're all for rescuing Regulus, have you come up with a plan?" </p><p>Not for the first time, Remus was grateful for Lily Evans. She'd been the only one who whole-heartedly agreed with him on the Sev thing two years ago. It did make sense, he supposed, since Severus was her best friend. Peter admitted he had his doubts on whether Sev would forgive them, James was too busy wallowing in his own misery to realize what Remus was trying to do, and they hadn't been on speaking terms with Sirius at all. </p><p>He took a deep breath, willing the flush on his face to die down. "I… I reckon we should try to get him to open up during patrol." James opened his mouth, but Remus held up a hand. "Hear me out. Lily could assign me, James, or herself as Regulus' partner for the week. Patrol lasts an hour, three nights a week, yeah? Maybe Lily'll even be able to charm the socks off of Reg." </p><p>"<i>What?!</i>" Sirius had scrambled to an upright position on the armchair. "Nobody's going to be the charming the socks off of my little brother! In case you forgot, he's fourteen!" </p><p>Remus didn't miss Peter's loud cough. "It was a joke, Padfoot. Don't get your knickers in a twist." </p><p>
  <i>"My knickers are perfectly fine, thank you very much - "</i>
</p><p>"Er, Moony?" James cut in. "What about Sev? And Peter, and, well, Padfoot. They're not prefects. And, uh." He glanced at his boyfriend. "You know Sev's not exactly on good terms with the rest of his House." </p><p>Severus rolled his eyes. It took an enormous amount of self-control for Remus not to do the same. Merlin, he'd forgot how overprotective James can be. "I've put up with your bullying for years, James. I'm sure I can handle myself against a couple of wannabe-Death Eaters." </p><p>James' jaw dropped. "I thought we established I only bullied you to get you to look at me!" </p><p>Severus arched a brow. "A sick attempt at getting me to look at you, then." </p><p>Remus could feel a headache coming on. He couldn't understand why they always had this argument. </p><p>("Methinks it's some kind of foreplay," Sirius said after James and Severus had a particular nasty row behind the greenhouses. </p><p>Remus took a deep breath. "Please don't ever say that again.") </p><p>"I <i>told</i> you I was sorry! Loads of times! And you know it was Sirius' idea, Merlin knows why I even listened to him - " </p><p>"Oi, don't drag me into your mess - " </p><p>"Enough!" Lily raised her voice. Sirius, and James shut up. Remus mentally thanked all his lucky stars for Lily Evans. "James, what were you saying about Severus?" </p><p>James squirmed under her gaze. "Yeah, um. Anyway, I figured we could maybe minimize Sev's involvement? In case Slytherin catches wind of our plan?" </p><p>Remus stared at his friend. "<i>Now</i> you're just being dramatic." </p><p>"I literally established I could take care of myself," Severus deadpanned. "Pettigrew, Black, and I would find the time to talk to Regulus. It's not like we don't see him in the corridors." </p><p>James looked sheepish. "Okay, yeah, point taken. Sorry. Er, Lily?" </p><p>Lily nodded. "We'll meet here after our rounds to discuss the progress," she said. "Is half an hour good enough?" </p><p>"Fridays after patrol," Severus said. "We can't risk sneaking out every other night. James only has one Invisibility Cloak." </p><p>"Fridays after patrol, it is." Lily looked around. "Any objections?" </p><p>"None," James, and Sirius chorused. </p><p>"None," Severus said. </p><p>"Remus? Peter?" </p><p>Remus shook his head. Peter did the same. </p><p>"Alright." Lily clapped her hands. "Oh, and one last thing: there would be absolutely no discussions of our plans outside these walls. It'd be too dangerous if somebody overhears. Are we clear?" </p><p>_ </p><p>Remus watched as the faint outline of the familiar paneled door became visible on the wall. "Reckon they've finished with their date?" </p><p>"According to the map, yeah." Sirius reached for the knob to push open the door - </p><p>"<i>Merlin's saggy left buttocks, what the fuck?!"</i></p><p>Remus blinked, vision focusing on the sight in front of them. He blanched. </p><p>Skin. Loads of skin. The smell of sweat and lust in the air. James with his tongue down Severus' throat. Bruises scattered along the side of James' throat. James in Snitch-patterned boxer briefs. Severus with his trousers on, thank heavens for small mercies. And the couch - sweet Merlin, Sirius <i>liked</i> that couch - seemingly seconds away from buckling under their weight. </p><p>"What the <i>fuck</i>, Prongs?!"</p><p>James, the little shite, took his sweet time untangling himself from Severus. Remus couldn't help but stare when Severus leaned forward to steal a kiss from James. It was common knowledge the Slytherin loathed public displays of affection. Had James already corrupted him? It hasn't even been two years yet! </p><p>"For fuck's sake - <i>cover yourselves, dammit!"</i> </p><p>Remus glanced at Sirius. His friend had turned to face the door, arms crossed over his chest. A flush was creeping up his neck. </p><p>"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Padfoot." Yeah, Remus could definitely hear the eye-roll in James' voice. "Not like you've never seen me half-naked before." </p><p>Remus nudged Sirius' arm. "He's right, you know." </p><p>Sirius grumbled something under his breath, which sounded a lot like <i>no he's not</i> and <i>didn't want to see you naked anyway.</i></p><p>"How was your Hogsmeade trip, Remus?" </p><p>Remus' attention snapped to Severus. The Slytherin had already thrown on a shirt, and was slipping on his robes. </p><p>"'Twas splendid 'til we walked in on you going at it like crups in heat!" Sirius shrieked. "Oh, the poor, poor couch..." </p><p>Remus rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him, Sev. A ladies' man he might be, but unfortunately, he's a prude when it comes to sex." </p><p>"Come off it, Moony! Whose side are you on?!" </p><p>James' laughter echoed around the room. "You can look now, Pads. We're decent, I swear." </p><p>Sirius obeyed, but not without much grumbling, and muttering. "So?" He glared at them. "What do you have to say for yourselves? You scarred me - <i>and Moony</i>, even if he might not admit it - for life!" </p><p>"We're very sorry," Severus said, sounding anything but sorry. Remus fought to keep a straight face. "James and I were just..." </p><p>"Too caught up in the moment?" </p><p>If possible, James laughed even louder. "Yeah! Sorry, Padfoot. Oh, by the way..." He pulled something from the pocket of his robes. "Here you go, Moony. An apology for walking in on us." </p><p>Remus caught the slab of Honeydukes' chocolates. "Blimey. Thanks, Prongs." </p><p>"What about me?!" </p><p>"Sirius, mate, I hate to say this because you're not the heir anymore, but you're still minted." James adjusted his glasses. "Go buy your own chocolates." </p><p>"How dare you! I never thought the day would come where you'd choose Moony over your own best friend..." </p><p>Remus caught Severus' eye. The Slytherin arched a brow. Remus gave a helpless shrug, like, <i>what can you do?</i> Before Severus could reply, the door flew open, revealing Lily, and Peter. Remus broke eye-contact with Severus to look at Sirius, who had fallen silent. They looked at the couch, then at James and Severus. All the color had drained from Severus' face. James looked seconds away from throwing up. </p><p>
  <i>Oh, Merlin.</i>
</p><p>Lily still hasn't forgiven James for the incident with the Hufflepuff girl; Remus didn't want to be on the receiving end of her fury if she found out James had exhibited his exhibitionist tendencies again, thank you very much. </p><p>As if reading his thoughts, Sirius immediately made a beeline straight for Peter, and Remus moved to occupy the nearest empty seat - which happened to be the footstool. </p><p>"Pete, so glad you could join us!" Sirius all but pulled their friend to the only other empy seat - the armchair. "And Evans!" He doubled back to grab a bewildered Lily from Severus. Remus mentally sent a quick prayer to Merlin when Sirius shoved her in Peter's direction. "Just make do with it, unless you want to take the rug. Sit on Pete's lap, or something," Sirius suggested, ignoring Lily's furious scowl. "You'll thank me later. Remus, mate, move over, will you?" </p><p>Remus scooted to the side to let Sirius take his place next to him. Their shoulders brushed at the proximity. He shifted, trying to make himself comfortable on a footstool clearly only meant for a single person. Merlin, they should request the Room for an additional couch next meeting. "Can't you just sit on the floor?" </p><p>"<i>You</i> sit on the floor," Sirius shot back. </p><p>Remus shot his friend a dirty look. "Then we'd have to tell Lily why we let James and Sev have the couch to themselves, wouldn't we?" </p><p>"Tell her they've been fucking on the couch and be done with it."  </p><p>Remus scrunched his nose. "Must you be so crude?" </p><p>In the end, James, and Severus had no choice but to take the couch. Neither of them seemed to mind, though. Remus pretended not to see Peter's puzzled expression, or the fact Lily kept staring suspiciously between him, Sirius, James and Severus. </p><p>James clapped his hands. "Gather 'round, everyone! I'm starving, so the sooner we get this over with, the better!" </p><p>"Starving for Severus' prick, more likely," Sirius muttered. </p><p>Remus kicked him. </p><p>"What?" Sirius hissed. "It's true!" </p><p>"Doesn't mean you could shout it from the rooftops!" </p><p>
  <i>"I wasn't shouting - "</i>
</p><p>"If you're both done with your argument, then we can actually start the meeting now, yeah?" </p><p>"Right." Remus flushed at Lily's pointed look. Thank Merlin she didn't seem to have heard Sirius' earlier comment. "Sorry. Er, James?" </p><p>"About that." James rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Um, Reg didn't want anything to do with me. I tried to make small talk, Evans, I swear!" he added. "But Reg's just so...so...bloody <i>difficult</i> to talk to. I asked him about Kreacher the first night, and he just looked at me like I was a speck of dust on his robes!" </p><p>Sirius snorted. "That's Regulus for you. Father's tried to set him right loads of times, but it'd only made him more stubborn." </p><p>"Even more stubborn than Sev?" Peter piped up, making Remus chuckle. </p><p>It had taken ages for Severus to warm up to the Marauders after The Incident™, so it's not like he expected anything else from Regulus. </p><p>"Believe it or not, Reg's more stubborn." James grinned. "Let's just hope the Head Girl can change his mind, eh?" </p><p>_ </p><p>Remus closed the door behind him, only to realize he wasn't the first to arrive. "Lily?" </p><p>She raised her head from the desk to shoot him a smile. "Hullo, Remus." </p><p>Odd. She'd been in the library when he'd last consulted the map. Pushing the thought away, he grabbed a footstool, and settled next to her. "The others have been held up, but they'll be here shortly." He squinted at the roll of parchment. "That your Defense essay?" </p><p>"Yeah." She reached up to rub her temple with her free hand. Strands of red hair had escaped from her bun. Remus' heart sank at the dark bags under her eyes. </p><p>"Maybe I could help. I'm mostly finished with mine, so I can give you some pointers." At her nod, he pulled her essay towards himself. He scanned the wall of text she'd written. "I see. Well, you're correct in stating wands are primarily a European invention. Although they're useful for channeling magic, they also make it difficult for witches and wizards to master wandless magic since we've become much too reliant on them. But it depends on the culture, really. Bathilda Bagshot mentioned in The Decline of Pagan Magic that Native Americans practiced wandless magic pre-colonial period, and Uagadou students prefer to cast spells by finger-pointing and hand gestures." </p><p>Relief washed over her face. "Thank you." </p><p>He smiled. "My pleasure." </p><p>While Lily returned to her essay, he pulled out his old copy of the Lord of the Flies. </p><p>James, and Sirius could laugh all they want, but Remus would always hold a fondness for Muggle authors. As he flipped through the pages to look for the chapter where he'd left off, he let the sound of Lily's soft breathing, the frequent scratch of quill on parchment, and the crackle of the fireplace wash over his ears. </p><p>Minutes passed. The door opened. </p><p>"Oh, my. Are we interrupting something?" </p><p>Remus raised his head from his book. "Not particularly." </p><p>With a loud sigh, Lily put down her quill. "If you must know, Sirius, Remus was only helping me with my essay." She turned to Severus, who had deposited the Invisibility Cloak on the couch. (A different couch than the one from their previous meeting. Turns out the Room <i>does</i> provide new furniture if you ask for it.) "How were your classes, Sev?" </p><p>James snorted. "Are you taking taking the piss, Lils? We had Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration with Slytherin. You were there." </p><p>Lily narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't talking to you - " </p><p>Remus tuned out the imminent argument to slide his book back into his bag. What is it with his friends having a go at each other almost all the time? (He'd tried to dissuade them once, Lily and James. The whole thing ended with Peter spending the night at the hospital wing after Lily accidentally sent a Stinging Jinx at him. From then on, it had been unanimously decided by the rest of the Hogwarts student body that the Head Boy and Girl should be left to their arguments until either one returned to their senses.) "You alright there, Sev? You look a bit shaken up." </p><p>Severus heaved a sigh. He reached up to run a hand through his curtain of hair. "I had…a bit of a run-in with Rosier. He tried to tail me, convinced I was meeting up with Lily. I managed to lose him on the fifth floor." </p><p>"Did you use <i>Sectumsempra</i>?" Unlike the Marauders, Remus didn't have much of a problem with Sev's interests in the Dark Arts, so long as he didn't use his knowledge to hurt the innocent. He knew it'd be hypocritical of him to judge Severus, considering he himself was a Dark creature. </p><p>Severus shook his head. "The Full-Body Bind Curse. Git didn't expect it. He'd be stuck behind the statue of Boris the Bewildered 'til somebody walks in on him." </p><p>Remus couldn't help his impressed grin. "Brilliant." </p><p>" - might've had a change of heart, but it doesn't change the fact you bullied Sev, you miserable toe-rag - " </p><p>"Now, now, Evans, I'm sure there's quite enough of Sev around for you and James to share - " </p><p>Severus shot Sirius a dirty look. "Finish that sentence, Black, and I'll throw you into the lake for the Giant Squid to feast on." </p><p>"Oh, really?" Sirius didn't even bat an eyelash at the threat. "Eh, I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune if you saw...<i>this</i>!" </p><p>Remus frowned at the paper bag Sirius had procured from seemingly out of nowhere. "Did you nick it from the kitchens?" </p><p>"No." Sirius looked offended he even suggested the idea. "The house-elves gave it to me, thank you very much." He pulled out a cherry strip from the bag. "Help yourselves. Merlin knows Sev needs more meat in his body." Severus made an offended noise at the comment. Sirius grimaced. "Salazar, I can't believe I just said that. I sounded like Grandmother Melania." </p><p>"What <i>about</i> your Grandmother Melania?" James pulled a ginger cake from the bag. "And where's Pete?" </p><p>"What do you mean?" Remus leaned forward to rummage through the pile of pastries. Coconut tartlet, ginger cake, or cherry strip? He has been craving for coconut tartlet lately... "Pete's at the library. Said he needed to finish McGonagall's essay, remember?" </p><p>"The one due on Monday - <i>shite</i>." All the color drained from James' face. "Seven rolls of parchment." </p><p>Remus bit at the tart. "Prongs, she assigned it to us ages ago." </p><p>"I know, but…" James hung his head, bottom lip jutting out into a pout. "Seven rolls of parchment, Moony. How in Merlin's name am I going to finish seven rolls of parchment in two days?! Not to mention I have Quidditch practice, and the practicals for Slughorn, and Head Boy duties - " </p><p>Remus exchanged an exasperated look with Sirius. Telling James off for not starting on his essay wouldn't do them any good now; it'd be like nagging at a very, very stubborn crup. So he did the easiest thing, and turned to Severus instead. "Sev?" </p><p>Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, alright. I'll let James copy off mine." </p><p>James immediately brightened. "Really? Thanks, Sev! You're the best! Here - " He broke off a piece of his ginger cake, and held it in front of his boyfriend. To Remus' amazament, Severus scrunched up his face, but opened his mouth without much protest. </p><p>"Merlin's beard…" Sirius muttered, sounding like he couldn't believe what they'd just witnessed either. "Remus, mate, we didn't accidentally spike Prongs' pumpkin juice with love potion, did we?" </p><p>Remus popped the rest of his tart in his mouth. "Not to my knowledge, no." </p><p>"Gentlemen?" Lily interrupted. She'd perched herself on the edge of the desk. "If we could get this over with?" </p><p>James broke away from his own little world with Severus to give Lily a brief nod. "Right you are, Evans." </p><p>And he dragged Severus to the couch. Sirius made himself comfortable on the other couch, while Remus returned to his footstool. </p><p>"Okay." Lily straightened up. Remus frowned, noticing the sudden tension in her shoulders. "As you all know, it was my turn to talk to Regulus this week, and…I <i>might've</i> lost my temper with him." </p><p>Sirius dropped his bag of pastries. "What? Why?" </p><p>"Because he called me a Mudblood." </p><p>"He <i>what?!</i>" </p><p>Oh, Merlin. </p><p>Remus' mind reeled at Lily's confession. He never considered this happening at all. Why hadn't he considered this happening? He knew Regulus could be a handful, but it never occurred to him the younger Black would actually disrespect Lily. What if Lily wouldn't want anything to do with the plan anymore? He couldn't even blame her if she wouldn't want to help; they still had their N.E.W.Ts to worry about, and saving Sirius' younger brother wasn't really a priority - </p><p>An outraged noise snapped him out of his thoughts. James had jumped to his feet, wand in hand. "Where is he? I'll fucking kill him - " </p><p>Severus pulled his boyfriend back down. "We can kill him later. Or at the very least, teach him a lesson. Lily, please?" He gestured for her to continue. </p><p>Lily huffed out a mirthless laugh. Remus had to stop himself from flinching at the sound; it was so unlike the warm laughter he usually associated with the redhead. "Your brother's a prat, Sirius. The <i>nerve</i> of him to talk to a seventh year like that - and I'm Head Girl, for Merlin's sake! I thought the Sacred Twenty-Eight taught their families manners?" </p><p>Sirius' expression twisted into a grimace as he picked up the paper bag. "They <i>do</i> teach their families manners, but you have to understand that we - <i>they</i>, sorry, take into account a wizard's blood status, and only respect those they deem worthy enough to be respected. Muggle-borns are rarely included in the category. Narrow-minded pricks, the whole lot of 'em, if you ask me." </p><p>A tense silence followed his explanation. </p><p>Severus cleared his throat. "Lily, what exactly happened?" </p><p>Lily's shoulders slumped. Remus reached out to pat her leg. A part of him wanted to apologize for Regulus' actions, but at the same time, he felt like it wouldn't be enough. He wasn't Regulus. It wouldn't be the same. "The first two patrols were fine. I asked him about his marks, his favorite subjects. Safe questions. Earlier, however, he was acting aloof right from the start of patrol." </p><p>Remus pressed his lips into a thin line. Regulus had seemed to be alright when they exchanged pleasantries before the meeting. What changed? </p><p>"One minute, I was telling him how we should better get a move on if we don't want to run into Mrs Norris. The next minute, he'd called me a Mudblood and snapped at me to be quiet." </p><p>"But you didn't hex him, did you?" Sirius asked. "Because he should've known better than to call you a...<i>you-know-what</i>." </p><p>Remus didn't miss the anxious note in Sirius' voice. Lily was a force to be reckoned with when she lost her temper; Regulus should be lucky she didn't hex his mouth shut for disrespecting her. </p><p>"I didn't hex him, though I almost wished I did." Lily heaved a sigh. "It would've done him some good." </p><p>"I'll talk to him," Severus said. "Later." </p><p>James tugged at the sleeve of his boyfriend's robes. "Can I come with?" Sirius made a noise of protest from the couch. "Oh for Merlin's sake, Padfoot, get a grip. We won't <i>actually</i> hurt him, we just want to have a word - " </p><p>"Remus?" </p><p>Remus started at the mention of his name. He looked up at Lily. "Shall we return to your essay?" </p><p>"No, it's not about my essay. I just..." She lowered her voice. "I don't think this whole patrol thing is working. If you were in his shoes, how would you react if your brothers' best mates suddenly paid close attention to you?" </p><p>Remus pondered the question. "I'll be overwhelmed. And...parananoid. Constantly wonder if they want something from..." His eyes widened. "<i>Shite.</i>" Lily swatted his arm. "Sorry." He swallowed. "Reckon Dumbledore'll be disappointed if we did our rounds with our current partners 'til the end of the term?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's simple.</p><p>He's only going to make small talk, since he admitted to himself he doesn't really know anything about Regulus other than the tidbits Sirius has mentioned over the years. Merlin, he's regretting his plan already - no. He'd suggested it, the plan was in motion, James, and Lily had done their part, so he was also supposed to do his. Now is not the time for second thoughts. </p><p>Yes. He will do his part. He will make small talk with Regulus. </p><p>Steeling his nerves, he dragged his feet towards the Slytherin. "Hullo, Regulus." </p><p>Regulus looked up. Remus' eyes widened at the uncanny resemblance to Sirius - Merlin, of <i>course</i> he looks like Sirius, he's his brother. It's just - well, he's never really had a chance to look at Regulus up close - </p><p>"Let's just get this over with, Lupin." </p><p>Remus blinked, taken aback at the sudden rudeness. Regulus doesn't appear be in a foul mood, but he isn't like Sirius when it comes to expressing his emotions. If anything, Sirius often complained about Regulus' aloofness - a trait which he apparently emulated from their father, making it more difficult for people to get a read on him. Nevertheless, Remus forced a smile. </p><p>"Of course," he said, as pleasantly as possible. "And Remus is fine, Regulus." </p><p>"I believe it's more appropriate to call you Lupin, seeing as we aren't friends." </p><p>Friends - Remus wanted to smack himself. Small talk. Right. "Well, I don't call you Black, do I?" He pulled out his wand as he fell into step beside Regulus. <i>"Lumos."</i> </p><p>He glanced at Regulus. The light from his wand threw Regulus' features into even sharper relief. He looked younger than he previously assumed, the dark bags under his eyes reminding Remus of Lily. </p><p>Regulus pressed his lips into a thin line. "Alright, I admit it'd be...odd for you to call me Black, seeing as you're best mates with my brother." </p><p>"So I can call you Regulus?" </p><p>"If you must." </p><p>Remus nodded. </p><p>The awkwardness continued to linger in the air. Remus opened his mouth to say something - anything, then closed it. Small talk. He could do small talk. He <i>could</i>. He opened his mouth again. "Say, what's your best subject?" </p><p>Regulus' lip curled. "The Head Girl didn't tell you?" </p><p>"No." He furrowed his eyebrows at the question. "Why? Should she have told me?" </p><p>Regulus stopped. In the dim light, Remus could see his nostrils flare. "I don't know what Sirius thinks he's playing at, sending you lot to interrogate me during patrol. I'm not stupid, Lupin. Or am I wrong, and the Head Girl, the Head Boy, and a sixth-year Gryffindor prefect wanting to be chummy with me all of a sudden was merely a prefect ritual I wasn't aware of?" </p><p>Remus' breath caught in his throat. Shite, he should've known Regulus was more clever than he gave him credit for. He was Sirius' brother, for fuck's sake, and Sirius was practically one of the most clever students at Hogwarts. "You're - " </p><p>Regulus' face had hardened. Remus swallowed. The truth was most definitely not an option. There's no telling how Regulus would react if he admitted he was right. (On second thought, Remus had a feeling he knew exactly how Sirius' brother would react. He'd never talk to them again. The plan would be all for naught.) </p><p>He decided to take control of the situation before it could escalate even further. "It's not what you're thinking, Regulus. I mean, the interrogation - and I'm sorry if it came off that way - is not a prefect ritual, nor are we doing it because Sirius told us to. Lily, James, and I just want to get to know you. Lily, especially. She's of the opinion that it'd be best to know our fellow prefects - and if not on a friendly-level, at least on an acquaintance-level. I apologize if our attempts came off a bit too much." </p><p>It wasn't a lie. Sirius certainly never told them to interrogate his brother. Regulus didn't look like he believed him, either, but he didn't press. "Alright. If that's what the Head Girl wants." He paused, like he was about to say something but was torn on whether or not to say it, then ultimately added, "Care of Magical Creatures isn't my best subject, though it's the one I'm most fond of." </p><p>Huh. That was…unexpected. Both at the amount of information Regulus had shared, and the fact he had chosen to share it at all. "I never took you for a Care of Magical Creatures bloke. Reckon you'd be more into Transfiguration." </p><p>The response got a smile from Regulus. A small one, the edges of his mouth barely lifting upwards, but a smile, nonetheless. Again, the uncanny resemblance to Sirius almost made Remus almost do a double take. "I'm not actually as good in Transfiguration as you might think." </p><p>"Bollocks," Remus said without thinking. </p><p>"It's not," Regulus replied. (Was it just Remus, or was there a hint of amusement in his voice? Merlin, why can't Regulus be more like Sirius, and wear his emotions on his sleeve?) "I mean, I get decent marks on it, but it's far from my best subject." Regulus cleared his throat. "What about you? Tell me about yourself, Lupin." </p><p>"Why? What do you want to know?" he asked, a tad rudely than he intended for it to come out. "Sorry." Merlin's beard, he should get a grip. This was small talk, for Godric's sake. It's not anything special. </p><p>His sheepishness must've shown on his face, because the tension loosened from Regulus' shoulders. "What's your best subject?" </p><p>Remus stared at him. "You're honestly asking me that question?" </p><p>"I am." </p><p>"Then I have to say that my best subject's Defense." </p><p>Regulus gave a quiet hum. "Favorite spell?" </p><p>"The Patronus Charm," Remus said. "You?" </p><p>Regulus paused. He wore the same expression Sirius did whenever he thought about how he was going to answer the particularly more difficult essay questions he couldn't wing. "I don't have a favorite spell, exactly. But if I had to choose, it'd be the Memory Modifying Charm." </p><p>"Why?" </p><p>There it was again; the smile. Merlin, Reg looked so much like Sirius, it was insane. It felt like talking to a fourteen year old version of his friend. He shook his head to clear away the thought. He was talking to Regulus, not Sirius. Besides, he knew Regulus wouldn't appreciate being compared to Sirius in terms of...well, everything, if Sirius was to be believed. "Because it's fascinating." </p><p>Remus nodded to himself. "I see." </p><p>They drifted off into silence. He chewed on his lower lip. Regulus seemed content with the silence, but it was driving Remus mad. Merlin, who knew trying to make friends with Regulus Black was going to be difficult? The thing with Severus hadn't ever been like this, and Severus once loathed the Marauders. He shook his head. Ridiculous; Regulus was his own person. It wasn't fair to compare him to Sev, either. </p><p>A sudden movement from behind Gunhilda de Gorsemoor's statue caught his eye. "Wait here." At Regulus' nod, Remus stepped forward, raising his wand. "Who's there? Show yourself." </p><p>A gangly figure slouched into view. Remus straightened up, making sure the student - Slytherin, if the green-and-silver-tie was anything to go by - caught sight of his Prefect badge. He looked familiar. Definitely not in Remus' year. Fourth year, maybe. Or Regulus' year. </p><p>"Go back to the dorms, Barty." </p><p>Remus started. Barty…? He squinted at the Slytherin. Pale, fair-haired, a smattering of freckles on his face. It clicked. Barty Crouch Jr, son of the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement. </p><p>Crouch's gaze flickered from him to Regulus. "Consorting with a Gryffindor, Regulus?" </p><p>Remus' jaw went slack. "I'm sorry? I suggest you return to your dorm if you don't want me to dock points, Crouch." </p><p>But Crouch's attention was focused on Regulus. "I can't imagine your mother would be proud of your dalliances, Reg." </p><p>
  <i>"Barty."</i>
</p><p>Remus turned to stare at his fellow prefect. Even as a fourteen year old, Regulus' voice held a note of authority he'd be compelled to obey. And knowing the Blacks, it had probably been trained into both Sirius, and Regulus since the day they learned how to talk. </p><p>Fortunately, it seemed to work on Crouch as well. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Though, I'd advice you not to get your knickers in a twist, eh, Lupin?" </p><p>Before he could fire back a response, Crouch slouched out of sight. Remus ground his jaw. "Ace friend you've got there, Regulus." </p><p>"You must forgive Barty," Regulus said. But he doesn't sound upset. In fact, he seemed almost...amused again? "Bloke doesn't have the best sense of humor." </p><p>And just like that, the tension in the air disappeared. Remus resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Regulus' explanation. "What, he sees two blokes roaming the corridors at midnight and immediately assumes they're shagging each other?" </p><p>Regulus' eyes glinted. "Like I said, he doesn't have the best sense of humor." </p><p>Remus swallowed. "But you don't hate blokes who're actually like that, does you?" </p><p>He knew pure-blood families as steeped into tradition as the Blacks valued blood purity above all else, though he wasn't sure if their views also applied to homosexuality as much as it did to incest. </p><p>Regulus smirked, like he could read what Remus was thinking about. "Contrary to popular belief, pure-blood families don't care who you're seeing as long as you don't run your mouth off about it at soirées." </p><p>…Sirius definitely never mentioned that. </p><p>"Besides, I don't think Mother would disown me if I liked blokes that way," Regulus added, almost like it was an afterthought. </p><p>It took a moment for the words to sink in. "She wouldn't?" </p><p>On one hand, it was nice to know Walburga wasn't a complete monster. On the other hand, she also literally disowned Sirius, and blasted him off the family tree for not upholding their family values. </p><p>"I'm the heir, Lupin," Regulus explained patiently. "She can't afford to disown me, else Bella, and Narcissa would inherit the family fortune." Ah. Figured there'd be a catch. "My brother never mentioned it to you?" </p><p>Remus drew his brows together. "He mentioned something about the inheritance laws, but never the specific details." </p><p>"There you go," Regulus said. "They'd probably marry me off to a pureblood heiress to ensure I wouldn't run away." </p><p>The sentence left a sour taste on the tip of Remus' tongue. Ugh. He'll take the bit about Walburga not being a monster back. "Merlin, your family sounds awful." </p><p>He realized what he said a moment too late. Fuck. He should've remember Regulus wasn't like Sirius. Regulus likes Orion and Walburga, for Merlin's sake. "Reg, I - " </p><p>He fell silent at the steel in those gray eyes. </p><p>They didn't speak to each other for the remainder of the hour.</p><p>_ </p><p>Severus leaned over to add the crushed passionflower. The potion hissed, and turned a pale purple. "Are you ready for tomorrow night, Remus?" </p><p><i>Ready for - </i> </p><p>Remus' stomach sank. Merlin, why didn't he tell Severus again? Severus was acquainted with Regulus wasn't he? No. The less who knew about his argument with Regulus, the better. Severus wouldn't exactly ask questions, but he'd definitely make him feel like an idiot for his actions, and Remus wasn't in the mood for being reprimanded. </p><p>"I'm...yeah." Merlin, he hoped Severus wouldn't pick up on the fact he was lying through his teeth. Sirius always did say he was such a shite liar. "And please don't ask me anything like that ever again. People might take it the wrong way." </p><p>Severus snorted, but his eyes flickered to the far side of the room. Remus paused in stirring their potion to follow his gaze. James, and Lily were bickering over their couldron. </p><p>"I was hoping they'd stop their bickering." </p><p>"When Dumbledore gets the hang of Muggle technology, maybe. Or, er, someday," he added, at the pinched look on Severus' face. </p><p>"I asked James once," Severus said. He added another batch of crushed passionflower to the potion. The potion simmered, turning from pale purple to a darker sheen. "And you can stop stirring it now. It'll take about ten minutes to cool down. We'll transfer it to the vial afterwards." </p><p>"Alright." Remus tore his attention away from the potion to focus on Severus. "What were you saying about James?" </p><p>"Why he always seemed to have it out for Lily. I thought it was because he was furious because she ignored me after I called her a you-know-what. Turns out he's just a possessive arsehole." </p><p>Remus stared. Both Peter, and him have had their suspicions for a while, but he didn't think James would actually admit his possessiveness to Severus. They often wondered (and twice, placed bets) if the Slytherin even realized James, and Lily's arguments stemmed over Severus himself. No doubt James was one of the most possessive blokes Remus had ever met, but Lily also wasn't the type of girl who backs down from a challenge. </p><p>Because the possessiveness was obvious - to anyone who paid them the slightest bit of attention, at least. Fortunately, the rest of the school seemed content in believing James wanted Lily, so Severus and James' relationship was safe. (Didn't help that James badgered Lily in public, but oh, well.) "He <i>can</i> be a tad possessive, can he?" </p><p>"Understatement of the century," Severus replied. He lowered his voice. "Don't think I forgot about the stunt he pulled to earn my forgiveness." </p><p>Remus couldn't help but smother a laugh at the memory. Peter, who was more than tired of James' pitiful complaints about how Severus will never forgive him, had told James to apologize to Severus, or else he'd tell Lily everything. <i>Everything</i> meant James fancying Severus since their first year, and was only constantly asking Lily out to piss her off. But of course, James got the wrong idea. </p><p>The next day, James had chosen to sit with Severus in all the classes Gryffindor shared with Slytherin. Remus could still remember the looks on their classmates' faces when no hexes erupted after James took a seat beside Sev in Transfiguration. And Charms. And Potions. It had been so astonishing, their yearmates had decided to refer to it as The Incident on the Sixth of February of '75; or The February of '75 for short. </p><p>The next day, James did the same. And still no hexes from either party. (Some almost wanted to call it The Incident on the Seventh of February, then realized it wouldn't really have a point if James, and Sev continued to act uncharacteristically civil to each other.) In fact, if Mary was to be believed, James looked almost <i>pleased</i> at his interactions with Sev. They quickly shot the rumour down lest it snowballed into...something else. Yeah, James fancied Sev, but it's not like he wanted anyone else to know. Yet. </p><p>Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Remus looked around the room, and caught Sirius' eye. Sirius winked. He smirked to himself. Double Potions for their last period on Mondays might be a droll, but the Marauders' ridiculous antics entertained Slughorn so much, he'd often give them an early dismissal. </p><p>As if on cue, a loud crash echoed in the air. Remus swiveled around to look at the source of the sound. </p><p>James had a sheepish look on his face, passionflower petals scattered at his feet. Lily looked ready to strangle him. </p><p>"It was an accident! If you weren't acting like a - " </p><p>"Like a what, James?" Lily's eyes flashed, as if daring James to finish the sentence. </p><p>"Like the love of my life?" James offered weakly. </p><p>Remus winced. Wrong answer. James seemed to have realized it as well, because he rushed towards Sirius, and Peter to hide under their desk. "Help me!" </p><p>Scattered chuckles erupted from their classmates. Remus looked around. The majority of the class had abandoned their potions to watch the proceedings. Where in Merlin's name was Slughorn...? Right. The loo. </p><p>With an irritated sigh, Severus pulled out his wand. Before Remus could stop him, he marched towards James and Lily's desk, and gave a flick of his wand. The bowl mended itself. Another flick. The bowl landed on the desk, the passionflower petals now cushioned neatly inside. </p><p>James immediately emerged from his hiding place to run towards him. "My hero!" </p><p>Severus rolled his eyes. "Get your hands off me, Potter." </p><p>"Please allow me to accompany you to Hogsmeade next month. As a token of gratitude for saving me." The way James posed the question was exaggerated, but Remus didn't miss the hopeful gleam in his eyes. </p><p>Once upon a time, the peaceful interaction (for lack of a better description) would've made Hogwarts buzz with excitement. The James of two years ago would've never talked to Sev like that unless he was about to prank him, but then The February of '86™ happened, and everyone learned to just go with it. That being said, Remus was also well-aware of the rumours; how Lily must've agreed to finally go on a date with James for the Marauders to stop their pranks. The rumours had only got worse as the days passed, and James became more, and comfortable around Sev. (If only everyone knew exactly how comfortable James was when Sev was involved...) </p><p>"You want me to accompany you to Hogsmeade because I cleaned up your mess?" Severus asked. </p><p>"But mate, what about Lily?" Sirius called out. </p><p>"Oh, piss off, Black. I don't need Potter to take me to Hogsmeade, not when I'm perfectly capable of going there myself," Lily retorted, which earned a round of cheers, and chuckles from their classmates. From the corner of his eye, Remus thought he even saw a Slytherin chuckle. </p><p>James raised a hand. Their classmates fell silent. "You forgot, Sirius, that my lily-flower actually is capable of taking care herself, and it's precisely the reason why I asked Severus instead of her." Lily made a disgusted face at the nickname. Remus grinned, knowing it was just for show. Perhaps. Maybe. He could never really tell with Lily, but what he was sure of is that she definitely didn't really hate James as much as she claimed to, lest she never would've approved of him going out with her best friend. As if on cue, James turned his attention back to Severus. "So? What do you say?" </p><p>"When hell freezes over," Severus deadpanned. Without waiting for James' reply, he swept past him to return to Remus' side. </p><p>Another round of laughter echoed across the room, though this time it was accompanied by a chorus of scoffs. The scoffs, no doubt, issued from the Slytherins. Severus, thankfully, appeared to be at ease with ignoring his housemates. Remus nudged his friend's shoulder. "You didn't have to be cruel." </p><p>"Then he should know better than to chat me up in the middle of class," Severus replied. "You never answered my question, by the way." </p><p>Remus' cheeks grew warm. "Ah. Erm, that is - I'm ready. And I'll do my hardest not to muck it up. It's my plan, after all." </p><p>A brief smile twitched on the corners of Severus' lips. "Best of luck to you, then." </p><p>_ </p><p>"Lily? Can I have a word?" </p><p>He didn't miss the looks Mary, Alice, and Marlene traded from across the table. But Lily paid them no attention. Instead, she set down her quill, and got to her feet. "Of course." </p><p>He let Lily drag him to the corner near the Restricted Section, the one where Remus was sure would definitely be out of Lily's friends' earshot. Though, he was pretty sure the Ravenclaws a table away from them had gone quiet, but he ignored them in favor of staring at Lily. He hastily squashed his guilt at the flash of concern in her green eyes. "Remus, is everything alright?" </p><p>He sucked in a sharp breath. He didn't know why he'd put off telling her until now. "I think… I think I might've offended Regulus. The other day. When we were patrolling. I was hoping if you'd… if you'd let us switch partners, just for the night." </p><p>Lily bit her lip. For a moment, Remus worried she wouldn't agree, or she'd chew him but, her she nodded. "Okay. But only for tonight, yeah?" </p><p>"You chatting up my lily-flower, Remus?" </p><p>Remus had to fight back a smile as Lily scrunched up her nose at the voice. From over her shoulder, he could see James make his way over to them, Severus, Peter, and Sirius trailing behind him. Lily turned around. "I'm not yours, Potter. And I was just asking Remus about something which is definitely none of your business." She straightened up, and nodded at Severus. "Sev, let's go. Alice, and the others have already agreed to let you sit at our table." </p><p>"No," James said immediately. "Severus already promised he'd sit with us. He'll help me study for Potions." </p><p>Remus caught Peter's eye. Peter stared back in exasperation. Merlin help him. If James gets them kicked out of the library again… </p><p>"James, mate, just let them be," Sirius piped up, with the tone of someone who has had a massive amount of practice trying to talk his best friend out of trouble. "It's just for the afternoon." </p><p>James, predictably, ignored him. "You're not taking Severus anywhere, Evans." </p><p>Lily's eyes flashed. Oh, Merlin. They're honestly not planning to have a go at each other in the library, aren't they? "Why shouldn't I, Potter?" </p><p>"Because I said so - " James doubled over. Remus glanced at Severus, who withdrew his hand from James' side. A split-second later, James straightened up, eyes wide behind his askew glasses. The Ravenclaws from the table over were still staring. "Er, what I meant to say is, everyone else would probably think you're going out with him instead of me. And we can't have that, can we?" </p><p>Lily rolled her eyes. "You're such a pain in the arse. Sev, let's go." </p><p>"Evans, wait!" James called out. Lily, predictably, didn't look back, her grip tight on Severus' arm. "A cuppa after our rounds? And Severus…" James' voice softened at the name. "You better make sure my lily-flower's in good hands, or else." </p><p>Remus had to stop himself from oggling at his friend. It's a miracle nobody's realized who James really fancies when it's just so bloody obvious. </p><p>_ </p><p>"Good luck." Lily patted his arm as she swept pass him, the fifth year Ravenclaw prefect in tow. Remus bit his lip. He glanced at James. James was deep in conversation with the sixth year Hufflepuff prefect, so no help there, either. </p><p>He shook his head. Just because he didn't do his rounds with Regulus doesn't mean the Slytherin would hate him now. Besides, Regulus didn't have proof it was Remus' idea to switch partners in the first place. He'd only done it so they both wouldn't have to suffer from the awkwardness brought by their last conversation. Oh, Merlin, who was he kidding? He had to get this over with. It was his plan to rescue Regulus, after all. He didn't have any more excuses; he already had three days to come up with an apology. </p><p>With that particular thought in mind, he dragged his feet towards the doorway. "Hullo. Ready for patrol?" </p><p>"Lupin." Regulus straightened up. "But first, I, um." His jaw tightened. He took a deep breath. "I...apologize. For acting like such a huge arse to you last Monday." </p><p>"Oh." Remus blinked. Inwardly, he heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't know exactly what possessed Regulus to apologize considering his pride as the heir to the Ancient and Most Stuck-up House of Black (Sirius' words, not his) was on the line, but he wasn't going to look at a gift horse in the mouth. "Me too, I suppose. 'Specially for the bit about your family. It was uncalled for." </p><p>"Apology accepted," Regulus said. He peered up at Remus. "Are you alright?" </p><p>"Just feeling a bit under the weather. James was - " Remus snapped his mouth shut. James and Severus' row had resulted in a frustrated James rambling to the Marauders about how Severus' involvement with the Dark Arts could get them all killed one day, why does he have to be so bloody difficult, but Remus couldn't tell Regulus <i>that</i>. "James, er, needed help with something. We didn't want to bother Madam Pomfrey." </p><p>Regulus arched a brow. It was clear he didn't believe him in the slightest. Was Remus really such a bad liar? "…I guess I'll just take your word for it." </p><p>Remus gave a weak smile, grateful Regulus cared enough to let the subject drop. They began to walk down the corridor. "How were your classes?" </p><p>Regulus pressed his lips into a thin line. "They were...underwhelming." </p><p>"Care to explain why?" Remus couldn't pretend his interest wasn't piqued at the answer. Perhaps Regulus merely had such high expectations for his lessons. After all, he did say his favorite spell was the Memory Modifying Charm, which was pretty advanced magic for a fifth year. </p><p>To Remus' pleasant surprise, the conversation flowed easily between them tonight. Maybe it was because Regulus seemed to actually be making an effort to get to know him. That, or Remus made sure to steer away the topic from Regulus' family. </p><p>When they ambled past Gunhilda de Gorsemoor's statue, Remus couldn't help but look back. </p><p>Regulus chuckled quietly, pulling Remus' attention back to him. "I made sure Barty remained in the dorms tonight. Slytherin couldn't afford to lose more points." He glanced at his watch. "Our hour's up. Shall we go back?" </p><p>_ </p><p>The moment the last of the prefects had walked out of the room, Lily rushed to close the door. </p><p>Remus shifted in his seat. "You lot can come out now." </p><p>The air in front of him shimmered. </p><p>Severus, Peter, and Sirius had emerged from underneath James' Invisibility Cloak. Severus gave Remus a nod as he deposited the Cloak on the back of one of the vacant chairs. It was obvious from his smug expression he had made-up with James, a fact which was only reaffirmed when James practically leapt forward to pull his boyfriend to a kiss. Remus smiled to himself. He knew his friends didn't exactly have the healthiest relationship, but he was glad they were getting there. </p><p>"So, Moony." Remus turned to look at Sirius, but rolled his eyes at the frown on his friend's face. "How did it go?"</p>
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